SANJAY GETS SIX YEARS - A SAD DAY AT MUMBAI!

 ’ a sad tale and one that could have been avoided!’ 

My son and I were very upset today after we received news from friends in Bombay that our favourite Hindi Super Star Bollywood actor, Sanjay Dutt has been sentenced to six years in jail for buying weapons from bombers who attacked Mumbai (Bombay) in 1993.

The star’s lawyers argued he should remain free on bail for good behaviour, but the judge ruled against leniency.

Dutt, 48, is the most high-profile of 100 people who have been convicted for the blasts which killed 257 people.

The actor was cleared of conspiracy, but found guilty of illegally possessing a rifle and a pistol.

His lawyers said they would appeal against the sentence.

It is a real pity and one can see that ‘a mistake was’ made but the law is clear and definite and a respector or no persons - at least in certain countries!

MALAY MAIL HIGHLIGHTS CONSUMERS CONCERNS!

‘consumers need to be weary…’ Datuk Dr Jacob George - CASSA CHIEF.

Its president, Datuk Dr Jacob George said Indonesia’s Medicine and Food Control Organisation has said that the ban will stay until they have inspected all the affected products and give the “all clear”.

He said the ban which took effect early this month cited that some medicine from China contained chemical substances and some of the cosmetics were mixed with mercury and rhodamin.

“Mercury and rhodamin are hazardous to health and can even cause cancer in the long run. Even the food products were mixed with formalin,” said George who obtained the details from his counterpart in Indonesia.

George called on the Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs Ministry and the relevant authorities to immediately initiate similar action, pending extensive tests on the China imported goods.

“At this time, we can’t determine if the banned products are on our shelves. There is a possibility that some of the banned products might have reached us before the official ban was announced,” he said, urging authorities not to compromise on consumers health.

He said several countries like the US, Australia, Britain and the European Union, have initiated a ban since these products contained hazardous substances.

“Cassa has been alerted to more than 79 food items from China that are on the list of banned products.

“Among them were seven types of chewing gum, plum sweets and three types of toothpaste which contained chemicals for use as a freezing agent in refrigerators and lubricating oil,” he said.

Also in the list were farmed Chinese seafood, pet food, toys, fake drugs, toxin-coated cosmetics, illicit pesticide-laden mushrooms, fireworks and other products.

“We also believe many of the said items may be dumped in our country before the ban in China,” he added.

He said worldwide ban on these hazardous products are being initiated by various countries and consumer groups are also making efforts to spread awareness of the ban worldwide.

“We are very concerned about the health and safety of consumers. An immediate ban should be given serious consideration to protect consumers,” Jacob added.

He also urged authorities to clear the shelves of some China products which might cause a health hazard, while waiting for full test results on the products.

Federation of Malaysian Consumers Association chief executive officer Indrani Thuraisingham also expressed her concern and said more stringent checks should be conducted on these product.

“If the products are found to be safe, then the ban could be lifted,” she said.

Indrani also added that an ad-hoc mechanism should be imposed by Asean countries to create an early warning system on hazardous consumer products in the region.

“The quick delivery of information from other Asean countries can help relevant authorities stop the contaminated products from entering the country,” she said.

The public, Indrani said should be kept well informed of the latest information, especially involving consumer products.

Muslim Consumers Association project director Noor Nirwandy Mat Noordin also strongly recommended the call to ban imported products from China which contain hazardous substances.

JUST FANCY THAT!

 ’ sample’ 

JUST FANCY THAT! 

CREDIT CARDS – A MAJOR COCK UP IN MANHATTAN USA! 

We are told that this candidate just wanted a couple of credit cards. 

Instead, he received a couple of thousand. 

Seriously, it is true when one Manhattan accountant Frank Van Buren found himself flooded with plastic in recent weeks, as the Exxon Mobil cards kept on coming. 

Van Buren, who stated he has had an Exxon Mobil account for his business for 17 years, had ordered two copies of his card because it was expiring. 

He got the cards he requested — and then got two boxes with 1,000 cards each. 

Van Buren said it took hours to shred the cards, which all had his name and account number. 

When he asked why this happened an Exxon Mobil Corp. spokeswoman Paula Chen stated the Irving, Texas-based oil company was looking into the mix-up. 

What a mix up! 

ASTRO UNDER FIRE? - YES AGAIN!

 

Name: Christi Joseph Paul

Dear JG,

With disappointment and disgust, I would like to highlight this latest unprofessional ethics by Astro to its subscriber.

On the 25^th of July 2007, I lodged a complaint to Astro through its 1300 helpline, on a long-standing ( 2 months ) issue I had with its decoder ( received in 2002 ).

The issue: 

It was a signal issue that I faced with the now infamous yellow dot displayed on the screen for more than 2 hours, before the programmes resumed on a daily basis.

Since I had another decoder ( received in 1999 ) in my other room, I wasn’t in a hurry to get it checked.   A couple of days before the 25^th of July, the problem worsened and I could not get the signal after almost 4 hours of waiting. Enough was enough.

I called up Astro’s helpline at about 6pm ( 25^th  July 2007 ) and narrated the issue. The technical support said that it will send a technician within 24 hours. I got a call at about 9 ++ pm the same night from the Astro’s technician and I thought to myself, that a 3 hour response time was really something that Astro can be proud of.

The technician came in and changed the problematic decoder to another ( reportedly a new one ) decoder and tested and it worked.

So the problem is definitely the decoder, which is what I thought of earlier.

I had 2 options, to purchase a new decoder with the price of RM199, or if I didn’t want to, I can just pay up the technician’s fee of RM50 for this 2 minutes of testing and trouble-shooting.

So, definitely, I thought I might as well purchase a new one if I didn’t want to pay RM50 for nothing! Well, the technician also said that I could trade in my problematic decoder for RM20 and just pay RM179, which I did.

The following day, an Astro staff called me up ( from this support hp no: 012-2153322 ) and asked me about this logged call.

I replied, “didn’t the technicians update the issue ( assuming that there was a problem ticket opened for this cause ) and close this call the same night before”. I was beginning to question the integrity of the support consultant and the Astro technicians on handling of what seemed to be a trivial issue.

Upon speaking to the Astro staff further, she said that a new decoder would cost RM 169 ! And now, I felt like a real idiot! Did Astro just cheat me of RM30?

I told the support staff that I’m very angry now and I would want back the extra that I paid Astro.

She asked me to report to helpline stating my case. I got even angrier, and told her that she do it, else I’ll be making a big report on this and it may tarnish the “good” reputation Astro has. She hung up on me after that.

Are the technicians working for some other middle person, being tipped off from the helpdesk support staff?

For me, Astro has compromised the trust and loyalty from its subscribers. I don’t know, how long these has been going on.

It’s not the extra RM30 ringgit that I’m highlighting here. It’s about the unprofessional and unethical way of Astro cheating its subscribers.

This is what I want from Astro:

1)       Please refund my money or I’ll bring this case to the consumer association or to the higher tribunal court.

2)       I would want Astro to give me an explanation on this whole issue and the actions that Astro will take.

Thank you.

Christi Joseph Paul’

JG REPLIES:

We have forwarded your complaint to ASTRO.

JAPAN’S PM SUFFERS RUDE POLITICAL AWAKENING SAYS JG!

‘will he last the pace now?’ 

As expected Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s conservative ruling camp suffered a devastating defeat in upper house elections yesterday which I conclude is a result that could well force Abe to quit and paralyze policy-making. 

But according to diplomatic friends and analyst in Japan I am advised PM Abe intended to stay in his post. 

As usual is the case PM’s put on a show a public display of confidence, of aura and has no loss for political rhetoric and statements. 

PM Abe has indicated that he would like to steadily proceed with education reform and revising the constitution. 

But, why the about turn in votes? 

Why were the voters upset? 

I am told that nation was angry at scandals and gaffes among his cabinet and government bungling of pension records. 

This indeed had stripped Abe’s coalition of a majority in parliament’s upper house in the first national electoral test since he took office! 

As one political pundit stated that if the outcome is in line with projections, it was a complete defeat! 

Need I say more? 

The broadcaster said its exit polls showed that the LDP and its partner, New Komeito, winning between 39 and 55 seats — far short of the 64 needed to keep their majority in the upper house, where half of the 242 seats were up for grabs. 

Abe’s coalition will not be ousted from government by a loss in the upper house, since it has a huge majority in the more powerful lower chamber, which elects the premier. 

But, with the main opposition Democratic Party of Japan on track to become the biggest party in the chamber, laws will be hard to enact, threatening policy deadlock. 

Critics say Abe, whose top priorities are revising the constitution and reforming education to nurture patriotism, was out of touch with voters’ worries about bread-and-butter issues a mistake many other politicians in this region are facing as well! 

They get carried away, go extensively on foreign trips and are not at the ground but instead listen to ‘political adventurers, predators, hangers on, has been, and political ‘yes men’ for directions, intelligence and updates’ which is political suicide! 

In Japan’s case PM Abe says he has projects like revising the constitution, but the Democrats have been saying that people’s everyday lives should come first. 

Yes politicians forget the need to prioritize – they get carried away and live in ivory towers and political glass houses! 

I believe in time he would be asked to go – period! Personally he is a decent man and I have a lot of respect for him!

In his term in all fairness PM Abe, boosted Japan’s global security profile and rewrote its pacifist constitution, won praise for improving ties with Beijing and Seoul that had chilled during the five-year reign of his predecessor, Junichiro Koizumi. 

But doubts emerged in time like they do in other Asian capitals and political frontiers which are repeatedly fanned by gaffes, high powered scandals, abuse of power, incompetence of the judiciary, and other tiers of government, racism even in Japan’s case scandals that led two cabinet members to resign and one to commit suicide, as well as revelations that the government had lost track of millions of pension premium payments. 

In other capitals they do not have the courage or ethics to resign and accept blame but instead spin away the issue blaming all others but themselves for the greed and political stupidity they indulge in! 

The Japanese scenario is at best fluid and one will have to wait and see! 

But the truth is unlike others in the region – the Japanese are honorable people and know when to quit, take responsibility for one’s folly and in many cases commit ‘harra kiri’ when one’s honor is involved! 

When the Japanese say – ‘BUDI BAHASA BUDAYA KITA – THEY MEAN IT! 

Interestingly, no general election is expected in Japan until 2009 but who knows in politics any thing goes! 

FREEZE ON CHINA PRODUCTS VITAL SAYS JG!

 ‘product safety vital for consumer protection’ - Dr Jacob George. 

The Consumers Association of Subang and Shah Alam, Selangor (CASSA) called upon the government to ban all food supplements, cosmetics and medicine imports which pose health hazards after Indonesia announced a similar move! 

The Indonesian ban took effective early this month. 

And in view of public interest CASSA calls upon the relevant authorities to immediately initiate similar actions after Indonesian authorities found: 

1.  China medicines contained chemical substances 

2.  Cosmetics were mixed with mercury and rhodamin 

3. Its food products were mixed with formalin which was dangerous to health. 

And Indonesia’s Medicine and Food Control Organization (BPOM) has already gone on record to state that the ban will stay until they had had inspected all the cited products and gave the ‘all clear’’! 

Several countries have already initiated a ban which includes the USA, Australia, Britain, Asia Pacific countries, the European Union, since these products contained hazardous substances. 

CASSA has been alerted that more than 79 food items are on the said ban lists. 

Among the products were seven types of chewing gum, plum sweets, and three types of tooth paste which contained chemicals for use as a freezer in refrigerators and lubricating oil. 

Also in the lists was farmed Chinese seafood, pet food, toys, fake drugs, toxin-coated cosmetics, illicit pesticide-laden mushrooms, errant fireworks, tainted toothpaste and other Chinese products. 

We also believe many of the said items may be already “dumped in our country” prior to the ban in China and the issue initiating world wide bans. 

It is therefore in our interest to initiate a similar ban to protect the health and safety of Malaysian consumers. 

All products that are in the country should be immediately identified and recalled in the public interest! 

WILL WE JOIN INDONESIA IN BANNING IMPORTS FROM CHINA?

 ‘better to ban then be sorry says JG!’ 

I had a busy time today answering telephone calls from several of my counterparts from all over the world and notably from Indonesia after they assured me that Indonesia has banned the import of food supplements, cosmetics and medicine from China which are said to pose health hazards.

I am told by friends in the consumer, public affairs, diplomatic, intelligence community that the said ban was indeed effective early this month after findings that:

1.  the medicines contained chemical substances

2.  while cosmetics were mixed with mercury and rhodamin

3. Its food products were mixed with formalin   which were dangerous to health.

And in view of public interest (not political interest and agenda!) the said ban ban will only be lifted after the authorities had inspected and gave the ‘all clear'’!

The comment came from none higher than Indonesian’s Medicine and Food Control Organisation (BPOM) Chief Husniah Rubiana Thamrin Akib!

Husniah had stated the ban was also imposed by other countries which found that these products contained hazardous substances.

BPOM was also carrying out inspections on all goods from China to check those which contained the dangerous agents with a view of destroying them.

Meanwhile, Head of the National Medicinal Analysis and Food Centre, Siam Subagyo has indicated that more than 79 food items from China were checked recently and the results would be known soon.

Among the products were seven types of chewing gum, plum sweets, and three types of tooth paste which contained chemicals for use as a freezer in refrigerators and lubricating oil.

Husniah feared that there was a possibility that the items were dumped here after the Chinese government had banned them.

Will Malaysia follow suit as I plead them to and not feel it is ‘politically improper’ since China is financing our second Penang bridge!

Get my drift?

MEDICS PARDON - TIME TO FORGIVE AND FORGET!

‘enough pain & suffering - time to move on!’ says JG! I sincerely do not understand  why Libya has formally protested against Bulgaria’s decision to pardon six medical workers released from life imprisonment in the Arab nation. Worst, that Libya’s foreign ministry states the pardons violated the extradition deal agreed as a condition of their release. Bulgaria has dismissed the complaint, saying the pardons were legal and that Bulgaria respected Libyan laws. For the record, Libya had sentenced the six medics to death for infecting 438 children with HIV, the virus that causes Aids. All six had always denied the charges and were pardoned on their arrival in Bulgaria by President Georgi Parvanov. If you remember my earlier blog on the matter you would know that on Wednesday, families of the infected children had reacted angrily to the pardons, calling on Libya’s government to cut ties. At the same time Bulgarian’s Prime Minister Sergei Stanishev stated his country would reply on Thursday to Libya’s protest, in which it accused Bulgaria of not complying with a 1984 extradition treaty. But he insisted that the protest was due to “pressure from the families of the infected children”, according to state news agency BTA. If you ask me all I can say is the 8 years of pain and suffering is enough - let us move on! Let us learn to forgive - period!

MALAY MAIL REPORT: CASSA - BE WARY OF PRODUCTS WITHOUT LABELS!

‘do we as consumers seriously check the products we buy?’ Dr Jacob George

Cassa: Be wary of products without labels

“We did a survey of 47 hypermarkets and supermarkets in the Klang Valley and found out that there are food products sold without proper labelling,” said Consumers Association of Subang and Shah Alam president Jacob George.

The survey, he said, was carried out in light of a slew of complaints received by the association, mostly from housewives who bought the products.

“There is no name of the distributor or producer, no ingredients, weight, expiry date, whether it was halal or non-halal, but only the price sticker.

“This is worrying as you have no knowledge of where these products come from and whether you can trust their quality or not,” he told The Malay Mail.

“Cassa appeals to the Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs Ministry to step up their enforcement.

“Consumers and consumer associations are upset with the seasonal enforcement done by the ministry during certain times of the year, like when the festivities are around the corner.

This is taken advantage of by retailers and wholesalers who are aware of the ministry’s enforcement ‘seasons’. More frequent enforcement is needed.”

Jacob said products that do not have labels have been strategically placed where they are easily spotted by consumers to pick up for purchase.

He also said there are food products sold in the market that carry labels, but the true weight of the contents are not stated.

“We tried weighing these products even with their packages, but we found that their weights were far less than what were stated on the labels.

What’s worse, some of these products happened to be of famous local brands.”

Besides the issue of weight discrepancy, Jacob said many of the products sold were of poor quality.

“Not many would complain about this because they may believe it to be a waste of time, seeing that these products don’t cost much — most of them cost below RM10.

“To one consumer, the cheap price may not mean much, but add it all up and you get a large reservoir of cheating cases that involve a lot of money,” he said.

He stressed that retailers should stop their unethical practices as they have a duty towards consumers to be honest with the products sold on their shelves.

“Most importantly, whatever sold must not come with misrepresented information.”

WE MUST MAKE NCER WORK SAYS JG!

 ‘the BN government has brought tremendous development to Malaysia and the interest of the raayat is always paramount!’

I fully agree that the Northern Corridor Economic Region (NCER) will be a big boon to the rural population in the four states that will be involved in it.

Not just because I hail from the north being from Sungei Petani, Kedah and then Butterworth!

Interestingly it was the same view from Deputy Rural and Regional Development Minister, Datuk Zainal Abidin Osman who stated that it could not have come at a better time for the rural population in Perlis, Kedah, Seberang Perai and north Perak, who formed the majority and comprised the various races.

He was confident that there was much they can gain from the many projects that will be undertaken in the NCER and urged them to seize opportunities that came for their betterment.

I fully agree with him that we should not be mere spectators and miss out on the chance to improve our living standard!

For the record, the NCER is a special economic growth programme involving billions of ringgit for the north of the peninsula and will be implemented over the next 20 years.

It will focus on three core areas namely agriculture, manufacturing and services to bring about balanced development in the region.

It will certainly be a boon to Malaysian consumers as it will spur tremendous development in the region.

We must congratulate the government for this fine project!

SULAWESI FLOODS HAS COST LIVES!

‘ a paradise of sorts!’ There is news that rescuers and aid workers on the Indonesian island of Sulawesi are struggling to reach villages devastated by Sunday’s severe flooding and landslides.At least seven people are known to have died, but officials now say about 50 more are missing and feared dead. Hundreds of houses were flattened and thousands of people have been forced to leave their homes. According to their Health Ministry officials the flooded roads were hampering rescuers and some villages were cut off which is bad for logistics planning! Acording to reports despite all these difficulties and hurdles there are teams trying to distribute food and medical aid to the displaced despite the uphill task facing them! Thousands of people are reported to have been left homeless. For the record, reports indicate that there are more than 8,000 who have been evacuated, but many thousands are still in the area and need to be moved. For the record, heavy rains regularly cause flash floods and landslides in various parts of Indonesia. Many experts say the problems have been exacerbated by deforestation, which makes it easier for rain to penetrate the soil and dislodge it. We pray that normalcy will return and there will be a great deal of aid sent to rebuilt flood hit communities!

MEDICS FLY TO SAFETY?

 ’free at last!’ 

BREAKING NEWS!

We are glad to hear and report that the 6 foreign medics convicted of infecting hundreds of Libyan children with HIV have left Libya for Bulgaria aboard a French presidential jet!

We are told that an aircraft of the French republic has taken off from Libya bound for Sofia with the five Bulgarian nurses and the doctor of Palestinian origin on board and that is brilliant news!

This news was also greeted with jubilation by the French President, Mr. Nicolas Sarkozy, and the President of the European Commission Mr Jose Manuel Barroso who we understand worked very hard behind the scenes for the said status.

The breaking news we are advised was also confirmed by Bulgaria’s Foreign Ministry that – Yes - the medics had left Libya.

That they had left their airport in Libya and are now flying to Sofia.

For the record, these medics, had spent over eight years in Libyan jail, during this process was accompanied by EU External Relations Commissioner Benita Ferrero-Waldner and France’s First Lady Cecilia Sarkozy, Chaushev said.

The two were in Tripoli to help release the medics, who say they are innocent.

Libya lifted death sentences against the medics last week and commuted them to terms of life.

So it means legally these medics will now “serve out their time elsewhere?”

But the truth of the matter is we are pleased that this has happened!

Praise GOD!  
 

FROM HARIAN METRO - JULY 23 2007

Godam meter tipu pembeli

Oleh Wan Noriza Meor Idris
wannoriza@nstp.com.my

  

KUALA LUMPUR: Segelintir penjual kenderaan terpakai dikesan menggunakan taktik licik ‘menggodam’ meter perjalanan kereta yang dijual bagi mengaburi mata pembeli kononnya kenderaan terbabit jarang digunakan, berdasarkan meter yang mencatatkan angka rendah.

Difahamkan, taktik itu digunakan segelintir syarikat penjual kenderaan terpakai.

Mereka turut memperdaya pembeli dengan mendakwa kenderaan berkenaan berkeadaan baik dan tidak pernah terbabit kemalangan jalan raya.

Presiden Persatuan Pengguna Subang dan Shah Alam (Cassa), Datuk Dr Jacob George, berkata pihaknya menerima hampir 200 aduan mengenai taktik kotor itu daripada pengguna, sejak 12 bulan lalu.

“Kebanyakan kenderaan digodam meternya adalah kereta mewah dan saya percaya mereka turut menipu dengan menggunakan kenderaan tempatan.

“Modus operandi sindiket ini adalah memutar semula meter menjadi lebih rendah bagi menampakkan ia jarang digunakan, masih baru dan berkeadaan baik,” katanya.

Dr Jacob berkata, sindiket terbabit dipercayai menjual kenderaan berkenaan setanding harga kenderaan terpakai yang masih baru.

“Ada kes yang membabitkan kenderaan mewah yang sudah diubah meternya daripada 124,000 kepada hanya 37,000 kilometer, namun pemeriksaan rapi dibuat selepas itu mendapat kenderaan berkenaan bukan saja sudah sering digunakan, malah pernah terbabit kemalangan jalan raya yang teruk sebelum dijual.

“Kes seumpama ini amat bahaya kerana kenderaan berkenaan yang sebenarnya berkeadaan tidak baik dijual kepada pelanggan akan meningkatkan risiko kemalangan jalan raya berikutan ia mungkin menghadapi masalah enjin kereta atau sebagainya,” katanya.

Menurutnya, bengkel kereta didapati turut ‘bekerjasama’ dengan sindiket terbabit dalam menggodam meter kenderaan berkenaan.

CASSA ENVIRONMENT - US FEDERAL COURT ORDERS SHELL OIL TO SUSPEND ARCTIC OFFSHORE DRILLING PROGRAM!

  

US Federal Court Orders Shell Oil to Suspend Arctic Offshore Drilling Program.

As true environmentalist we are of course glad that a federal appeals court has ordered Shell Oil to stop its exploratory drilling program off the north coast of Alaska at least until a hearing in August.

The order, issued Thursday by the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, comes after the federal Minerals Management Service in February approved Shell’s offshore exploration plan for the Beaufort Sea.

The order read as follows:

“Vessels currently located in the Beaufort and Chukchi seas shall cease all operations performed in furtherance of that program, but need not depart the area,”

Opponents contend that the Minerals Management Service approved Shell’s plan without fully considering that a large spill would harm marine mammals, including bowhead and beluga whales.

They say polar bears could also be harmed, and they question whether cleaning up a sizable spill would even be possible in the icy waters.

With this result I am certain that Shell officials are obviously disappointed!

But the truth is the court has asked for more information, and hope that it will be provided.

But I hope Shell stays off the North Slope communities!
Of course they may say that - Alaska is a long-term investment for Shell!

For the record - Shell was the high bidder in two recent lease sales for offshore tracts in the Arctic. In 2005, Shell Exploration & Production Co., part of Royal Dutch Shell PLC, spent more than $44 million for offshore leases in the Beaufort Sea.

In April, the company intensified its program by bidding $39 million for offshore leases, including more than $14 million for Flaxman Island northwest of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge.

The plan submitted by Shell Offshore Inc. proposed to drill as many as 12 exploration wells on 12 tracts over three years, including four exploration wells this summer.

This prompted a lawsuit by the North Slope Borough, several conservation groups and a group of American Indians and Alaska Natives.

A hearing is planned for Aug. 14 in San Francisco.

Let us go for preservation!

CASSA HEALTH - PROSTATE CANCER

Prostate cancer is a major killer A study has suggested that  that the fear of what the symptoms of prostate cancer may mean stops men from seeking medical help!Report indicates that a  Birmingham University team quizzed 20 men with prostate cancer about how they made the decision to consult a doctor. One of the key themes that emerged was that men often recognised they may have the symptoms of a serious disease. But they delayed going to a GP because of fear of diagnosis and the fact it was not “macho” to seek help! Prostate cancer is the most common male cancer, with more than 30,000 new cases a year - a third of whom die. It affects the prostate gland, which is found near the bladder in men, and produces one component of semen. As this study also indicates, we need to understand a lot more about men’s perceptions of and their actual experience of entering and using the healthcare system Dr Chris Hiley, of The Prostate Cancer Charity Symptoms include pain when urinating or ejaculating, blood in the semen or urine and pain in the lower back, hips or thighs. In this study we are told that researchers interviewed men aged 51 to 75 who all had prostate cancer. The report said several themes emerged as to why they delayed seeking help. Pressure to live up to the stereotype that real men ignored health problems was commonly mentioned. The team also said the possibility of having cancer invoked considerable anxiety among participants and this caused them to avoid health information or minimise the seriousness of symptoms. The respondents said that they felt male GPs often had negative attitudes towards men and that they were also concerned by the prospect of rectal examinations, which are used to help diagnose prostate cancer. I sincerely hope Malaysian males will be more proactive!

ILLEGALS - TIME TO REMOVE THE KID’S GLOVES APPROACH SAYS JG!

  I was glad to hear that the government will continue efforts to prevent illegal immigrants coming into the country as their presence has contributed to the rising crime rate!

This came from our beloved deputy premier, Datuk Seri Najib Tun Abdul Hj. Razak.

The Deputy Prime Minister stated that the government had never stopped tackling the problem but faced many difficulties in preventing illegal immigrants from entering the country.

But he was right in saying that the illegal find it easy to come in as our coastline is too long for us to block them from entering altogether.

It is true that the government has stepped up patrols, but then again there are things within and outside that hamper this.

One among them is the ‘half-way’ houses and ‘shelters’ prepared by sympathizers both in the country and from Indonesian who have been here for some years!

They are all well organized and syndicated!

Anyway back to the core issue that our DPM stated – the illegals coming unhindered!

Actually he stated this as the DPM was asked to comment on remarks made by Home Affairs Minister, Datuk Seri Radzi Sheikh Ahmad on Saturday that almost half of the 49,000 inmates in the prisons in the country consisted of illegal immigrants.

Radzi had stated that the foreigners were detained for committing various offences like murder, rape, robbery, theft and housebreaking apart from illegal entry.

I believe there is a fear that our holding cells are far been exhausted and our manpower and resources stretched!

If we want change then there is only one way!

It is time to move away from the ‘kids glove efforts’ as many feel we are so soft on the Indonesians despite knowing fully well that they have caused our crime index to rise at “boiling point!”

And it is also important that we not just deport them for violating our Immigration Act but make certain that there are penal sanctions which includes whipping! Period!

Anything less, is just a joke and we will never solve this Indonesian menace on our shores! 

YES - ITS THAT TIME OF THE YEAR AGAIN! FOR MAKING POLITICALLY INCORRECT STATEMENTS!

Dr Jacob George ‘ - such calls must be avoided and those making them punished to maintain discipline within the Barisan Nasional - we do not need political adventurers’

My feeling is if that is so, then those entrusted in the state leadership should all be sacked, more so those state representatives in the area of Tapah and to think that a mere MP Seat will make such a change for the better, unless you think like a moron!

Samsudin, who is the State Assemblyman for Ayer Kuning — a seat in the Tapah parliamentary constituency should in my mind now be sacked for fanning a conflict under various disguises!

The Tapah seat is now held by MIC Vice-President, dear friend, Datuk S. Veerasingam and if this call is accepted (I am sure that the Barisan Leadership of Pak Lah and Brother Najib will reject it - see pix above) if not, the deputy minister of the Ministry of Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs has no MP seat!

So far Uncle SAM is quiet - perhaps still in the USA?

PAKISTANI ARMS DEALER PUTS MALAYSIA IN NEGATIVE INTERNATIONAL SPOTLIGHT IN ARMS DEAL!

 ’F14 - extremely popular’ 

- F5 - a mean flying machine!

PIZZA HUT BEING RACISTS?

Breaking News!

We have received correspondence that alleges that Malaysia’s Pizza Hut ’being racists and treating certain cross section of the Malaysian public with bias?’

We are following this feedback and a full report should be out whether this allegation is true!

Please bear with us as our CIT (CASSA’S INVESTIGATIVE TEAM) goes to the ground to investigate and interview consumers and others who provided the information/e-mail!

We will revert soon!

ADVISORY - STAY CLEAR OF PAKISTAN FOR NOW!

 ’Is a political price now been paid by Pakistan’s President?’ 

Malaysians Advised Not To Go To Pakistan Unless Absolutely Necessary!

Yes, indeed true that Malaysians are advised not to go Pakistan now unless it is absolutely necessary.

Making that point was Foreign Minister, Datuk Seri Syed Hamid Albar who stated that the recent violent incidents in the South Asian country contributed to uncertainty there.

He said Malaysians there were unaffected by the incidents but they need to be cautious to avoid being caught in crossfires.

In fact I was also informed by friends studying in various medical schools that the situation in Pakistan is rather uncertain and dangerous for them too and tell us that unless it was absolutely necessary to avoid that country!

For the record, on July 10, more than 180 people were killed when troops stormed the Red Mosque in Islamabad where pro-Taliban militants were holding out.

Following that incident, suicide bombers have been targeting certain areas in the country.

Though Wisma Putra feels that our students were all right and not facing any problems I feel they perhaps, need to return home in view of various inponderables!